LETTER: How will history look back on 2016?

Published:11:30Friday 30 December 2016

In the year 2066, 50 years hence, the history books of England might read something like this:

The second decade of the 21st century saw Scottish prosperity really blossom. The turning points were the Scottish independence referendum of 2021 and the European referendum of 2016. It was the triumph in England of the far right isolationist parties at the 2020 general election that pushed the referendum in Scotland decisively in favour of independence. The UKIP/Conservative coalition that was elected in 2020 led the UK out of the EU and Scottish re-entry was easily and seamlessly effected following its 2021 independence referendum. As England became more and more isolated, and before the much vaunted trade treaties could be negotiated with the rest of the world, Edinburgh and Frankfurt had taken all the business from the financial houses of the City of London that were frozen out of the European Union as it then was. Canary Wharf was deserted and full of squatters, and the royal parks were being turned into allotments by the poorer residents who could no longer afford food with their ever increasing rents. The Toyota car plant in Derby had closed, and the business was moved to Renault north of Paris. Nissan in Sunderland had been bought and closed by Mercedes of Stuttgart. Rolls-Royce in Derby had moved all its research to Germany as they were unable to recruit qualified engineers from the barely literate school leavers coming out of the reformed education system. Plans were afoot to close the Channel Tunnel as too many foreigners were using it. Ultimately, by 2035, England’s decline became terminal. By 2030, the Unionists had been marginalised in Ulster, and Ireland was reunited inside the EU for the first time in 120 years. It was another five years before the riots at the English refugee camps in Dumfries forced the Scots to annex Northumberland and to close and fortify their border against English asylum seekers. The Scottish education system, long superior to the English, was producing scientists and technologists to compete successfully with the best in the world. Scotland had in fact done to the United Kingdom just what the Conservative/UKIP coalition had done to the European Union. Scotland prospered, England languished. The United Nations Refugee Council today stepped in to help Scotland cope with the ever increasing difficulties with its English refugee camps in Dumfries. Help came from the European Federation overseas aid fund. The riots of the last few weeks have quietened down a bit, and are said to be under control. This is perhaps not so far from the truth when mainstream politicians ignore local views and let the right wing politicians take the high ground. Finally, don’t blame me, I voted remain.